


Floral Arrangements

by the_casket_girls



Series: Prompts and Circumstance: Fic Prompts From The Blue Hellscape [5]
Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: F/M, Modern AU, Tumblr Prompt, strip club au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-08
Updated: 2017-09-08
Packaged: 2018-12-25 09:35:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12033171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_casket_girls/pseuds/the_casket_girls
Summary: Based on the Tumblr prompt "Why are we at a strip club?" + Elucien





	Floral Arrangements

**Author's Note:**

> Anonymous asked: 1
> 
> You didn’t give me a ship babe, so I’ll just choose Elucien myself bc I wanted to so I hope you’ve read ACOTAR. I’ve also taken some liberty with the exact wording of the prompt: “Why are we at a strip club?”

 

The neon lights pulsed, giving Lucien a headache. That may have been the tequila. Or the fact that he couldn’t look anywhere without encountering a bare ass cheek or a stripper pole that was  _way_ too loosely secured to be safe. He’d seen enough fail compilations on YouTube to know that an accident was coming, one way or another. 

He just hoped, sitting this far back from the stage, that he wouldn’t be in the blast radius when it happened. 

“You look like you’re enjoying yourself,” said Tamlin, dropping down beside him. The cheap plastic covering on the seats (easy to hose down, Lucien noted) crackled under Tamlin’s considerable weight. “I brought you here to have fun, unwind. You deserve it.”

_If I deserve to unwind, wouldn’t I choose the venue?_ “I’m having fun, Tam. Just a little more tired than usual.”

“You work too hard. Let’s play for once, shall we?” 

“Tam, really–” 

Tamlin patted his thighs with his hands, preparing to stand. “I’ll go see if I can’t secure you some quality time with one of the girls.”

And he left, in search of yet another way to torture Lucien.

Sighing, Lucien leaned back against the chair. There was no way he was having a lapdance, but he wasn’t particularly looking forward to that argument with Tamlin when he got back.

A flash of canary yellow caught his eye.

Lucien frowned, leaning forward to get a better look. A bundle of flowers was bobbing towards the bar, seemingly on its own. Nope, there was someone carrying them; this someone was just clad in black pants that melted in with the low lighting, the flowers obscuring their face as they held them up to navigate the tables and untucked chairs that stood between them and the bar.

The flowers lowered, plopping onto the counter in their little square box. The shining, moon-white face of the one who had transported the flowers into the club, and she was lovely. Even from a distance, even in a strip club, her smile was soft and unassuming as she watched the girl behind the bar take in the flowers, the name tag, the gift. A high pitched squeal erupted from the girl, but the deliverer remained serene, nodding and saying something Lucien couldn’t hear.

She turned around, leaving the flowers for the girl. She was dressed in slacks and a black polo, and looked distinctly out of place amid all the glitter and strobe lighting. She tucked her loose, mouse brown hair behind her ears where it had come loose from her pony tail, obviously being at the end of a very long day of work.

From the side of the room, Lucien saw Tamlin beginning to approach with a girl alongside him. Shooting up without a thought, he crossed over to the flower girl, hoping that his approach wouldn’t startle her. He imagined this wasn’t the most comfortable atmosphere in which to be approached by a strange man, if one such atmosphere even existed.

“I’m sorry,” he blurted out immediately, noting her wide eyes. Not exactly an auspicious beginning. “I swear, I’m not trying to do anything, I just really need an excuse to get out of here.” 

The girl’s gaze flicked to where Tamlin stood, surveying him with a frown. She looked back at him, understanding dawning. He didn’t know how she could have extrapolated the situation from one look at his friend, but she definitely had. “What’s your name?” she asked quietly, barely moving her lips as she spread an artificial smile over them.

“Lucien.”

“Lucien!” she burst out, throwing her arms around his shoulders. “It’s so good to see you again.” She leaned closer into his ear. “He’s looking our way,” she whispered. Pulling back, she continued, loudly, “You know, I’m not really dressed for here.” She plucked at her polo shirt; now that he was close up, he could see the logo embroidered onto it:  _The Fawn’s Flora_. “Would you like to go grab a burger somewhere?” 

“That sounds great,” said Lucien, feeling a little struck dumb. A florist had just saved him. In a strip club. Why were they in a strip club, anyway? This was potentially the weirdest encounter he’d ever had.

She led him out, pulling her keys from her pocket. A ways down the street, a little green car bleeped, its lights flashing. The same logo as the one on her shirt decorating the bonnet and the side of the car Lucien could see from the entrance of the club.

“Thank you,” Lucien breathed. “Really, I did not want to be there–” 

“I could tell,” she said, eyes shining. “It was something about the abject horror and nervous sweating.”

Lucien dabbed at his forehead absently, finding it dry. She laughed at him, but it wasn’t cruel. 

“Well, thank you,” said Lucien, digging into his pockets to find his wallet. Tamlin had driven there, so he’d need to call a cab to get home. “I really appreciate it.”

“It was no hassle.” 

Lucien ducked his head, preparing to head back down the street in search of a cab. 

“You know,” she called after him, still standing just outside the club, “we could always go for that burger. I just finished with work, so I’m looking for something substantial to eat.”

It took conscious effort to hide his grin. “Yes,” he said, walking back up to her. “I’d really like that …” 

“Elain,” she said. “I’m Elain.”

“I’d really like that, Elain.” 

“Good,” said Elain, twirling the key ring around her index finger. “Because I’m starving.” 

**Author's Note:**

> This was so fun, I may even continue it at some point. 
> 
> Feedback appreciated! Always taking prompts via Tumblr @flo-lore-writes


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